Missing Beagle Rescued From Animal Testing Lab Found

Gadget was last seen on Burbank Boulevard between Whitsett and Laurel Canyon in Valley Village. (courtesy Beagle Freedom Project)

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — The hunt for a beagle that went missing in the San Fernando Valley is finally over! Gadget, a special needs dog that was rescued from an animal testing lab in Spain last November, was found Wednesday morning.

A homeowner near Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Chandler spotted the dog in his front yard and called the phone number on his tag, according to a statement by Gary Smith of Evolotus PR.

The good Samaritan would not accept the $2,500 reward offered by Gadget’s owners, Ryan and Amanda Kelley.

Before being adopted, Gadget spent over four-and-a-half years “in a cage,” according to Ryan Kelley.

“When we first got him, grass was new to him, he had to learn how to walk on grass, he didn’t like grass, so a lot of the elements in the environment scare him,” said Kelley.

Beagle Freedom Project, a North Hollywood-based charity, took the lead online in the hunt for Gadget by starting their own Facebook page and even asking for followers to pitch in night vision equipment and binoculars to take their search round-the-clock.

“Gadget is now safe with his mom and dad, healthy and happy to be reunited,” Smith said.